Alarum – Open Call

Ardesia Projects is pleased to announce the open call Alarum for photographic works to be exhibited in Berlin as part of the Soft Power Platform: European Artist convention (28^th and 29^th of April). The selected work will be exhibited in an outdoor venue in the Tiergarten in the proximity of the Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg.

The open call is free and open to all artists working with lens-based disciplines, with no limit of age, nationality or gender.

CONCEPT

Europe is going towards the election of its Parliament in few months, and the growth of nationalist, xenophobic and repressive parties across countries menaces to shake the whole concept of European Union. Instrumentalising the fear of the Other and of any forms of diversity, these parties contribute in dividing us, putting people against each other. However, we believe that fear can be fought through collaboration and a collective reflection on how to address what worries us. Working with photography and visual arts often leads to question the role of images in shaping the contemporary society. How can images contribute to the creation and visibility of counter- narratives? And can these image-based counter-narratives efficiently go against current nationalist narratives? What are the limits of the power of images? The project Alarum shall attempt to address these questions.

We would like to collect contributions responding to the question: what are you afraid of? Fear is often associated to something negative, an unpleasant emotion. However, this feeling can be a very useful signal which alerts us that something is wrong. We fear what could hurt us, what threatens our identity or what could endanger our very own existence. Whilst fear can be a powerful tool which can be used to manipulate, it can also provide an occasion to bring people together to face a compelling danger. We would like to develop the concept of “fear” as something constructive, a signal that something of our time needs to be changed. The word Alarum is the old spelling of the English word alarm, signifying a signal or warning for an incoming danger and a call to arms to face it.

We are looking for contributions engaging with the concept of fear in order to create a collective reflection on what endangers our lives, communities and future. The theme can be interpreted in a number of ways; from projects dealing with climate change to personal projects concerning intimate and/or domestic dimensions, we are looking for a wide range of narratives.

Exhibition

The selected work will be exhibited in an outdoor venue in the Tiergarten park by the Landesvertretung Baden-Württemberg and the natural elements that surround it, including trees, bushes or other natural elements. The outdoor exhibition would consist on a series of images printed in poster (blueback) paper, that will be glued on wooden structures. This would allow a wider public to engage with the images selected, as it will be open and visible to all those who spend some time in that area of the park, including those who are not necessarily involved in the arts.

How to apply

The required material for a submission must be sent at info@ardesiaprojects.com, named ALARUM_NAME_SUBMISSION:

• Application form filled and signed.
• From 1 to 5 images (sized 1500px longer size – 72dpi; The files must be titled with the photographer’s last name and a sequential image number. For example: yourlastname_01.jpg, 02.jpg etc.
• Brief description of the submitted material (max 250 words).

Deadline: 7th of April 23.59 (CET time). 

Application form
Terms and Conditions